This invention relates to registration and control circuitry for vehicle control system and in particular to such registration and control circuitry for use in systems for controlling automatically the operation of a plurality of vehicles along guideways from centralized locations.
The basic functions of an automatic vehicle control system must provide for protection of trains from head-on and rear-end collisions, speed regulation and, of course, safe passenger door operation. In addition, the system which operates automatically must establish safe remotely controlled switch routing and checking and include vehicle responsive apparatus which operates in accordance with certain supervisory controls.
When utilizing other than typical railroad vehicles for the transportation of persons in a rapid transit systems, new concepts are employed in order to provide a safe system which encounters problems unique to non-railed vehicles. An obvious example would be the use of a vehicle shunt to determine the position of the train in the system, while with non-rail vehicles, it is apparent that some other system must be utilized which is at least as reliable as the vehicle shunt for determining the position of the vehicle.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement which substantially obviates one or more of the limitations and disadvantages of the described prior arrangements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system which may effectively determine the position, direction and safe speed of an automatically controlled vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved system for communicating between the vehicle and the wayside for maintaining those communications in a safe manner.